Metal vehicle-wheel.



PATENTED DEC. 18, 1906.

RM1?. LEWIS, JB. METAL' VEHICLE WHEEL.

PPLITION FILED JUNE 24. 1905.

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No. 838,630. I PATENTED DEG. la, 190m v 1LT. LEWIS, JR. METAL VEHICLEWHEEL..

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WITNESSES: A iNVENTOH f3 Mm I ATTORN EY rn: Numus Psrsns co wnsymsro. DAC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT T. LEVIS, JR., OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THEAMERICAN TUBE AND STAMPING COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ACORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

METAL VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1906.

Application led June 24, 1905. Serial No. 266,854,

T0 all whom, it may concern:

* Be it known that I, ROBERT T. LEWIS, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and -useful Metal Vehicle-l/Vheel, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates more especially to the construction ot what aretermed the hubflanges7 of vehicle-wheels made entirely of metal andusing return-bend spokes; and my invention has for its obj ect toproduce a hublange ot this character which shall be simple andinexpensive to produce, neat and attra'ctive in appearance, in which thespokes shall be so firmly locked in the flange as to render movement inany direction impossible, thus insuring the greatest possible strengthand rigidity to the wheel, which shall be so constructed as to providean effective oilguard, thus wholly preventing soiling of the clothing bycontact with the hub, and which shall be adapted without change toeither small or barrel hubs and for use upon either nut or nutlessaxles.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain parts,improvements, and combinations, which will be hereinafter fullydescribed and then specifically pointed out in the claims hereuntoappended.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication,Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a barrel-hub complete,illustrating the use of my novel flanges in connection with a nutlessaxle. Fig. 2 is an enlarged outer 'face view of an outer flangedetached. Fig. 8 is an inner face view of either an inner or outerflange detached. Fig, 4 is a tace view of the inner or grooved diskdetached, showing a special form of bend ot the spokes and the manner inwhich the bends are socketed in the grooves. Fig. 5 is a verticalsection of the outer disk in its assembled form, but detached. Fig. 6 isa vertical section ot an' inner disk with the sleeve turned outward.Fig. 7 is a similar view with the sleeve turned inward. Fig. 8 is a viewsimilar to Fig. l, illustrating the use of my novel flanges inconnection with a nutaxle. Fig. 9 is a cross-section showing the wheelin place upon an axle, the axle-box and hub-barrel being in section andthe outer disk partly in section at the bend ot the tongues; and Fig. 10is an outer face view, partly broken away, ot either an inner orf'outerflange detached, showing the use of my novel grooved inner disk inconnection with the ordinary form of return-bendfspokes.

Adenotes an axle; B, an axle-box; C, ahubbarrel; D, outer iianges as awhole, and E inner flanges as a whole. It should be understood that Iuse the term inner and outerH as applied to the flanges merely as adistinguishing term. The outer iianges are provided with`oil-guards; theinner flanges are not; but ilanges with or without oilguards maybe used,if preferred, at either end of the axle-box.

The anges consist, essentially, of an inner disk 20 and an outer disk21. The aXle-boX is provided near each end with a circumferential rib22, against which the inner disk of the corresponding iange bears. Eachinner disk is provided with an integral sleeve 23, which forms thebearing of the iange upon the axle-box. This sleeve may be turnedoutward, as in Fig. 6, or inward, as in Fig. 7.

In all of the forms the inner disk is provided in its face with a recess36, which receives -one end or' a hub-barrel, as clearly shown in Figs.1, 8, and 9. It an ordinary small hub is required, the hub-barrel is notused. It a barrel-hub is required, the barrel is simply placed betweenthe iianges of the wheel, its ends engaging the depressions 36, and isrigidly locked in place in assembling by upsetting the ends of theaxle-box, as at 31.

An important feature of construction of.

the inner disks is that each is provided with grooves which receive thebends of the spokes. In the form illustrated in Fig. 4 the inner disk isprovided 'with a circumferentialv groove 24 and a series of radialgrooves 25, leading into the circumferential groove. The spokes 27 liein these grooves, the walls ot the grooves supporting them and retainingthem rigidly in place.

The spokes are of the return-bend typel IOO This construction of theinner disk and spokes gives the greatest possible strength and rigidityto the flange, as it is impossible for the spokes to slip or move in anydirection when the liange is assembled. The outer disk is provided witha series of notches 29, which receive the spokes, leaving between thenotches tongues 30, which are curved over the edge of the inner diskbetween the hubs, thereby looking the spokes and inner and outer disksrigidly and securely together and making the flange as a whole veryinueh stronger than when made in the ordinary way. The fianges arelocked to the axlebox by upsetting the ends of the axle-box against theends of the sleeves of the flanges, asat 31, as clearly shown in Figs. land 8, each flange being securely locked between a rib on the axle-box'and the upset end of the axle-box.

Each of the outer disks is provided with a central opening 32, whetherformed with or without an oil-guard. In what I have termed inner fflanges the outer face of the inner disk lies substantially at rightangles to the axis of the axle-box, and in what I have termed outer7fianges the outer face of the outer disk is provided with an oilguard33, formed by stamping the metal outward in the form of a frustum of acone, as clearly shown in Figs, l and 8. This conical guard insures thatoil that may escape at the end of the axle-box will drop within theflange and be retained. there, the outer face of the guard being alwaysclean and free from oil, even when no cap is used, thus removing alldanger of soiling the clothing by contact with the outer iiange of thewheel. In Fig. 1 I have shown the opening in the guard as closed by arubber cap 34, and in i Fig. 5 I have shown .it as closed by a meta cap35.

The form illustrated in Fig. l0 differs from the other form in that theordinary style of return-bend spokes is used-that is to say, themid-length of the piece of wire from which a pair of spokes is formed issimply a returnbend that is an outward or convex curve, as at 37. Inthis form the circumferential groove is used as before; but instead ofradial grooves to receive the spokes the inner ends of the spokes lie incurved grooves 38, which correspond with the curvature of thereturn-bendv of the spoke and which .intersect the circumferentialgrooves, the ends of the curved grooves extending to the edge of thedisk, as clearly shown.

In Fig. l I have shown an assembled barrelhub in connection with what istermed a fnutless axle. The inner end of the axlebox is extended inwardand. has rigid y secured thereto a flanged sleeve 39, the iiange ofwhich is engaged by a spring-catch 40 to retain the wheel in place uponthe axle.

In Fig. 8 I have shown an assembled barrel-hub in connection with whatis termed a nut-axle. In this form the forward end of the axle isextended and. provided. with a thread All, which is engaged by a nut 42,which ljust passes within the central opening 32 in the outer flange. Itwill thus be seen that either the inner or outer flanges are adaptedwithout change to be used either with or without hub-barrels to makewhat are termed barrel-hubs and upon either nut or nutless axles. Asalready stated, what I have terme( outer7 flanges may be used at eitherend of the hub, if preferred, and if an oil-guard is not required innerflanges may be used at either end of the hub.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. A- hub-flange comprisingan inner disk having a recess in its face to receive the end of ahub-barrel and an outer disk having tongues curved over the edge of theinner disk to lock the disks and the spokes in place.

2. A hub-flange consisting of an inner disk having grooves which receiveand support the inner ends of return-bend spokes and an outer diskhaving notches to receive the spokes and tongues which curve over theedge of the inner disk to lock the disks and the spokes in place.

3. A hub-flange consisting of an inner disk having in one side a recessto receive the end of a hub-barrel and in the other side grooves toreceive the inner ends of return-bend spokes and an outer disk havingnotches which receive the spokes and tongues which curve over the edgeof the inner disk to lock the disks and spokes in place.

4. A hub-flange consisting of an inner disk having a circumferentialgroove and leading therefrom radial grooves which receive the inner endsof return-bend spokes, the walls of the grooves supporting the spokes,and an outer disk having tongues between which the spokes pass and whichcurve over the edge of the inner disk to lock the disks and spokes inplace.

5. In a hub-flange the combination with an inner disk having acircumferential groove and radial grooves leading therefrom, andreturn-bend spokes having inward curves corresponding with thecircumferential groove, of an outer disk having tongues between whichthe spokes lie and which curve over the edge of the inner disk to lockthe spokes and disks in place.

6. A hub-flange consisting of an inner disk having a sleeve, in one sidea recess to receive the end of a hub-barrel and in the other sidegrooves to receive return-bend spokes and an outer disk having a centralopening, an outwardly turned conical oilguard, tongues which receive thespokes between them and curve over the edge of the inner disk and a capclosing the opening in the oil-guard` 7. A hub-flange consisting of aninner disk IOO IIU

having a sleeve with e recess in one side to In testimony whereof Ia'HiX my signature receive the end of a hub-barrel, and an outer in'presence of tWo Witnesses.

disk having a central opening, an outwardlyturned conical oil-guard,tongues Which receive the spokes between them and curve over the edge ofthe inner disk and a cap closing the opening in the oil-guard.

ROBERT T. LEWS, JR.

Witnesses:

A. M. WoosTER, S. WV. ATHERTON.

